Lleyton Hewitt vs Marcos Baghdatis Preview – ATP Memphis 2R

Two competitors who have thrilled fans around the world on many occasions will once again meet on the professional tour, as Australian No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt will clash with old rival Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships. The will mark the fifth time they meet on the professional tour, having split their Head-to-Head series 2-2.

Hewitt began his 2014 season in outstanding fashion, as he won his first ATP World Tour Title since 2010 and his first in Australia since 2005, when he defeated old rival Roger Federer to lift the Brisbane trophy. The win boosted Hewitt back into the Top 50 (currently ranked at no. 40) as well as the spot of Australian No. 1, but he was sadly unable to carry forth the momentum as he would lose in the opening round in Melbourne in a five set thriller against Andreas Seppi. The Adelaide native will now be looking to recover with a strong showing in Memphis, where he is the third seed.

World No. 134 Marcos Baghdatis cruised into the second round in Memphis this afternoon with a straight sets victory over American’s Rajeev Ram. The Cypriot hit 10 aces and saved 4 out of 5 break points on his serve to earn the 6-3, 6-4 victory in 75 minutes. Next up is a match-up against his old rival Lleyton Hewitt, whom he has defeated on 2 occasions.

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After taking part in a fantastic four set contest in the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, the two competitors once again shared the court for what would be remembered as one of the classic Australian Open matches. In 2008, Hewitt outlasted his opponent 4-6 7-5 7-5 6-7(4) 6-3 to reach the fourth round in Melbourne. Since then, the two competitors have met two more times in Australia to level the series at 2-2. Baghdatis is currently 94 spots below Hewitt in the rankings and will be facing a version of the Australian that is in his best form since 2008.